This study offers 90-120 hours of 1:1 training to improve reading skills in adults who have poor reading skills following a stroke. Specifically, this study is designed to improve skill in sounding out words for reading and spelling. The overall time commitment for participation in this study is approximately 11-30 weeks.

Further study details as provided by VA Office of Research and Development:

Primary Outcome Measures:

Behavioral testing and fMRI [ Time Frame: Language testing and fMRI sessions are conducted two weeks prior to treatment, immediately following end of treatment and 3 months after end of treatment. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Multimodal behavioral treatment focused on retraining sound to letter associations and skills in sounding out words when reading. Treatment has been pilot-tested in published papers since 1998.

Experimental: Arm 2

fMRI during reading pseudowords and during repeating pseudowords, as well as finger tapping (non-language task)

Radiation: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

fMRI during reading pseudowords and during repeating pseudowords, as well as finger tapping (non-language task).

Detailed Description:

The proposed study is a mixed-effects (single-subject ABA repeated-probe and small group elements) design with 90-120 hours of a modified multi-modal treatment of alexia replicated across up to 18 adults with post-stroke phonological alexia. The short-term goals of this research proposal includes the following: 1) determine if a modified multimodal treatment of phonological alexia can improve pseudoword reading skills (providing a basis from which training will also treat real word reading skills), 2) determine if a modified multimodal treatment of phonological alexia can improve real word reading skills, 3) determine how brain lesion extent and location relate to participants' response to treatment, and 4) identify relationships between changes in functional brain activity in specified regions of interest and participants' response to treatment.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Adults with post-stroke reading difficulties (phonological alexia)

>3 months post-stroke

native English speaker

can go in MRI scanner (3 to 6 scans),

participate in 90 to 120 free treatment sessions

return for 3-month post-treatment follow-up assessment & MRI.

Exclusion Criteria:

mental illness

degenerative disease, visual or auditory acuity impairment

drug abuse

English is not first language

claustrophobia

pregnancy

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00827268